As a fellow big man, I would really think about the surgery.
Surgery doesn't fix the underlying cause of your weight. You will lose a ton of weight following Atkins.
I have 2 people I know well who have done the Lap band, and they both still cheat. One drinks milkshakes from Dairy Queen and has been gaining weight and the other has stretched her band out and had to have more surgery.
The point is, it didn't fix the mental piece. The dietician will put you on a low fat diet, just like these two were on, and they lost a tiny bit of weight.
The post surgery diet is miserable. There is pain, risk of infection, and if you don't eat correctly, malnutrition is a VERY real possibility.
Look at the success figures for bypass patients. It's not all that great. I took this from a gastric bypass site:
Gastric Bypass Risks:*
- Rapid weight loss typically leaving excess skin and scarring
- Stomach stretches over time causing some to regain weight after a several years
- Portion of digestive track is bypassed, reducing absorption of essential nutrients
- Lung Problems: pneumonia, blood clot
- Bowel blockage
- Leakage of bowel contents into abdomen
- Nausea, vomiting, transient/temporary hair loss, food intolerances, loss of muscle mass
- Mortality: Approximately 2% of gastric bypass patients die as a result of the bariatric surgery
- Cutting and stapling of stomach and re-routing of intestines required
- Bleeding, blood transfusion
- Less than desired weight loss
- More than desired weight loss
- Possible birth defects related to vitamin and mineral deficiencies of mother
It has about a 50% success after 2 years. Wow. Not my idea of fun for all that.